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| No decisive progress on key Brexit issues, says EU's chief negotiator | No decisive progress on key Brexit issues, says EU's chief negotiator |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Europe’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said there has been “no decisive progress” on key issues in talks with the UK, putting him at odds with Britain’s Brexit secretary, David Davis. | Europe’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said there has been “no decisive progress” on key issues in talks with the UK, putting him at odds with Britain’s Brexit secretary, David Davis. |
| In a tense press conference after the third round of exit talks in Brussels, Barnier was scathing about the UK’s approach to the financial settlement, jurisdiction over citizens’ rights and access to the single market. | |
| Trust between the two sides was still lacking on the “divorce bill” and on the future of citizens, he said. | Trust between the two sides was still lacking on the “divorce bill” and on the future of citizens, he said. |
| “How can we build trust and start discussing the future relationship? We have to address these things together seriously,” he said. | “How can we build trust and start discussing the future relationship? We have to address these things together seriously,” he said. |
| Barnier also gave a stark warning that the single market would not be undermined by Brexit, saying it was impossible for an individual country to shape the market’s regulations from the outside. | |
| “The UK wants to take back control, wants to adopt its own standards and regulations – but it also wants to have these standards recognised automatically in the EU,” he said. “That is what UK papers ask for. This is simply impossible. You cannot be outside the single market and shape its legal order.” | “The UK wants to take back control, wants to adopt its own standards and regulations – but it also wants to have these standards recognised automatically in the EU,” he said. “That is what UK papers ask for. This is simply impossible. You cannot be outside the single market and shape its legal order.” |
| Davis said there had been some “concrete progress” in the talks. “I mean, Michel referred to one, but I think there’s been more than that,” he said. | |
| However, Davis expressed frustration at the EU’s stance on financial matters and its refusal to allow further discussions on the future relationship between the two sides. “It’s fair to say across the piece we have a very different legal stance,” he said. | |
| “I think we have succeeded in building mutual understanding, but it is also clear that there are still significant differences to be bridged.” | |
| Somewhere between zero and €100bn (£84bn) is probably the only accurate answer at the moment. The former is what some British ministers still argue for, drawing succour from an influential House of Lords report that suggests any liability arising on leaving the EU is not legally enforceable because the UK will have left. | Somewhere between zero and €100bn (£84bn) is probably the only accurate answer at the moment. The former is what some British ministers still argue for, drawing succour from an influential House of Lords report that suggests any liability arising on leaving the EU is not legally enforceable because the UK will have left. |
| This so-called golf club argument is vigorously contested by most other EU governments, who insist all financial obligations must be met before they will agree to any future trade deal. The figure of €100bn is the latest in a series of back-of-the-envelope estimates by journalists and thinktanks who have attempted to tot up those obligations. Previously the consensus among the same experts was €60bn. | This so-called golf club argument is vigorously contested by most other EU governments, who insist all financial obligations must be met before they will agree to any future trade deal. The figure of €100bn is the latest in a series of back-of-the-envelope estimates by journalists and thinktanks who have attempted to tot up those obligations. Previously the consensus among the same experts was €60bn. |
| Barnier denied he was angry, saying he had “the calm of a mountaineer”, but repeated several times in the short press conference that he was deeply concerned about the lack of time remaining. | Barnier denied he was angry, saying he had “the calm of a mountaineer”, but repeated several times in the short press conference that he was deeply concerned about the lack of time remaining. |
| “Time is passing quickly and it was short to begin with,” he said. “The fundamental question [to which] we must find an answer is this: ... will we have an organised and orderly withdrawal, or will the UK be exiting without agreement, with all the consequences we have already explained?” | |
| He said the EU delegation was prepared to “step up and intensify the rhythm of the negotiations” though Davis dismissed suggestions that talks could become more frequent. | He said the EU delegation was prepared to “step up and intensify the rhythm of the negotiations” though Davis dismissed suggestions that talks could become more frequent. |
| Tensions between the teams were high during the final hours of the negotiations as the EU accused Britain of failing to negotiate seriously over its financial obligation, while UK negotiators said some demands for money had no legal basis. | Tensions between the teams were high during the final hours of the negotiations as the EU accused Britain of failing to negotiate seriously over its financial obligation, while UK negotiators said some demands for money had no legal basis. |
| Barnier said: “The current state of progress means we are quite far from being able to say sufficient progress has taken place, not far enough for me to be able to say to the European council that we can start to discuss the future relationship.” | Barnier said: “The current state of progress means we are quite far from being able to say sufficient progress has taken place, not far enough for me to be able to say to the European council that we can start to discuss the future relationship.” |
| The chief negotiator said he never thought it would be easy” but that negotiations this week meant it was “clear the UK does not feel legally obligated to honour obligations beyond the Brexit date”. | |
| Davis said the UK had examined the details of the EU’s position on the financial settlement. “We have a duty to our taxpayers to scrutinise it properly,” he said. | |
| However, he said, the UK response would be the same as laid out in the article 50 letter, meeting financial obligations “in accordance with the law and in the spirit of our continuing partnership”. | |
| Davis said there was an imperative to begin talks on the future relationship. “We can only resolve some of these issues with an eye on how the new partnership between us will work in the future,” he said. | |
| “This is not about skipping ahead or trying to reopen previous discussions, it is about pragmatically driving the progress we all want to see.” | |
| Barnier said there was still a clear lack of trust between the two sides on key issues including the financial settlement and EU citizens’ rights. He cited the Home Office error where 100 EU citizens were sent letters mistakenly informing them they were liable for deportation. | Barnier said there was still a clear lack of trust between the two sides on key issues including the financial settlement and EU citizens’ rights. He cited the Home Office error where 100 EU citizens were sent letters mistakenly informing them they were liable for deportation. |
| Barnier said mistakes like that undermined the negotiations. “This is not the first time something like this has happened,” he said, suggesting it underlined the need for EU citizens’ rights to be under the jurisdiction of the European court of justice - “a point we disagree on today”. | Barnier said mistakes like that undermined the negotiations. “This is not the first time something like this has happened,” he said, suggesting it underlined the need for EU citizens’ rights to be under the jurisdiction of the European court of justice - “a point we disagree on today”. |